I Feel Better
by ClockwerkOrange
Summary: "I just…" I said, looking at my reflection in the knife, "…wanted to give you something." Zim's forced servitude to Tak has finally broken him completely. However, it seems to have left him more insane than docile. Sequel to I Feel Dead. Some vi-o-lence.


**[Author's Note: **

**I had been planning to make a sequel to I Feel Dead.**

**So I did.**

**~ClockwerkOrange]**

I woke up again today.

I like sleep. When I wake up, I feel like I'm going to get up to a fresh new day as an invader. Obviously, that was not the case anymore, but, even so, I could pretend. I could pretend that everything that has happened until now was just a dream. I could smile, just for a moment. I could be _me_ again.

"Zim!"

And then the time for reminiscing was over.

"Zim! Get out of your room and come here!" Tak shouted.

"Coming!" I yelled back.

"What was that?" Tak asked.

"Coming… master…" I added.

"Better."

I climbed out of bed and slipped on my invader uniform. Tak had toyed with the idea of dressing me up like a French maid, but had finally decided for me to keep my invader outfit… because it was _ironic, _she explained.

I shuffled bitterly into _my_ living room, and Tak had her boots up on the coffee table. She was watching something on television with MiMi. She had recently repaired her after GIR and I, and I thought of this with some pride, screwed up her robot and her ship, and sent her plummeting into space some months ago. My expression fell when I recalled how she beat me so horribly a few weeks later. How was I to know that she would simply resupply and come back even angrier? I didn't even know that the escape pod was drivable.

"Zim. Drink. Now," she said, giving me a quick glance. She waved her hand dismissively.

I nodded silently and glared at the spider web crack on the coffee table where one of her beatings had almost given me a severe injury. She didn't have it repaired. She said that it would serve as a reminder of what would happen if I resisted again.

I thought sadly about GIR. His parts were still placed in a closet somewhere in the base. He was just switched off, but…

"Zim? Are you getting that drink?" Tak asked while I was in the kitchen.

"Yes," I said numbly.

"Well, hurry up!" Tak growled.

"Okay."

I brought the drink back and sat it on the coffee table.

"Good job," she said mockingly and patted me on the head.

They always said, at the academy, that psychological warfare was sometimes the most powerful brand of battle… they were right.

Of course, occasionally, psychological barrages could eventually wear away at the victim's sanity.

I didn't feel so _well_ anymore.

After doing a few chores, odd jobs, and other random acts around the base, Tak told me to clean the dishes and go to bed, as it was getting pretty late.

I nodded and walked to the kitchen while she went to her bedroom.

_Her_ bedroom? I thought absently. This is _my _base.

I filled the sink with hot _filtered _water… I didn't feel like being burned. I added some soap and began washing the eating utensils first. I always did the odd stuff first, and then let the plates and bowls soak for a while.

_Why _the _hell _are you thinking about dishwashing? a voice in my head asked me. You shouldn't be doing this!

I ignored the voice and absently scrubbed at a smudged spoon with my pink sponge.

She doesn't _own _you, the voice whispered. You aren't _hers._

I sighed and began my work on a fork.

_Come on, Zim!_ the voice shouted. _Remember the good old days! Fighting against the pathetic human, blowing things up?_

Was it normal to hear a voice in your head that was _arguing_ with you?

I carefully scrubbed a serrated steak knife.

_Oh, that's good. That's very good, _the voice commented.

I dropped the sponge and held the serrated steak knife close. It was clean. So very clean and shiny…

My expression contorted into a deranged smile. It'd be a shame to leave it like this.

"Oh, Tak?" I called.

There was a small rustling sound from Tak's bedroom. "What is it, Zim? This better be good, I was just about to go to sleep. I mean, I've already turned MiMi off for the night… Did you finish the dishes already?"

"I just…" I said, looking at my reflection in the knife, "…wanted to give you something."

Good. Her little robot was deactivated… that'd make things much easier.

"Can't it wait to morning, you idiot?" she asked.

"No, I don't think it can," I said. The voice that came out of my mouth didn't sound like mine. It was calm, smooth… different.

I slowly walked to her room and collapsed onto the side of the doorframe. "I have something _very, very_ special to show you!" I shouted.

Tak's eyes, reflecting in the light seemed to glimmer with… _fear?_

"Zim," she said, recovering. "We've gone through this before. Put the knife away."

I maintained my deranged smile and looked in her eyes - I saw uncertainty bloom in them. I wonder if she saw anything in mine. I hoped they were empty.

I walked to the side of her bed and bent over her. "You know, Tak, maybe you should've been a little… _nicer… to me…_" the voice that had taken control of me said. My grip on the steak knife grew even tighter.

"You're pathetic, Zim," she said dismissively, but she was nervous. I could still see the fear in her eyes. She could tell that I wasn't _Zim. Not anymore._

"I'm sorry, dear, but you fucked up," the voice informed her delightfully, eager for blood.

I had no control over myself…

I raised the knife high.

"Zim…"

And held it there.

"Zim, you aren't going to hurt me…" she stated. It sounded like more of a plea than a truth.

And brought it down hard.

Silence.

Her eyes were opened wide… _staring_ at _me…_ She was just _looking _at _me...!_

"I didn't think…" she whispered, "…you had it in… you…"

Her eyes went into a half-closed position and dulled. Her head limply turned to the side.

Smiling, I placed my head against her chest and listened for a heartbeat. It was there, but it was faint. It was amazing that it could still beat at all with a knife inside it. I could resolve this.

I pulled the knife out slowly and threw it to the floor. It stuck there.

There was blood all over… everywhere…

I heard laughter, and realized it was mine… I let it diminish to a giggle, and then I stopped. I stared at her.

"Amazing," I whispered, and then paused. "She's dead."

Suddenly, I regained control of my body and mind. I backed away from the body and my back hit the wall. I was horrified. What did I _do?_

_What have I done? What am I going to do…?_

Then, I realized… It didn't really matter.

_I feel better, now._


End file.
